In Exile
by eyes.shut.wide.open
Summary: "Haven't you heard?" The hooded man narrowed his eyes at the dangerous tone of her voice. "I am a rebellion." And then she was gone. A dark chuckle left the man's lips as his fingers dribbled across the table again, stroking a swirly orange mask. "Precisely, my dear. When people see the face of their rebellion has joined me… they will bow at my feet." Itaxoc M for themes/poss.smut
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: So I was just reading some fanfiction about modern world fics when this plot bunny hit me. I'm not all too sure where this will go but I really like the way this story has turned out. I hope you enjoy it too!_**

**_I own nothing but Aiko and a few of the villages I believe will be turning up in this story._**

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_Oh how miserable you've become… ostracized by those you thought loved you dearly… what a waste._ A soft, miserable chuckle fled the lips of a raven haired girl. Her pinky finger danced around a bottle of sake while her mind wandered aimlessly back to her exile… the life she had been condemned to by her own parents.

"What a waste, no?" Her voice was hoarse, full of self-hatred and agony that was spelt out plain as day. Her long hair moved lower down her back in black streams, while her onyx eyes looked up, blood shot and drunken, at the man before her.

"A perfectly healthy Sharingan. My oh my, how foolish the Uchiha have become… throwing away talent and shunning perfection with no reason what-so-ever…" The male in front of her spoke calmly, allowing his fingers to dance across the table in front of him.

"Not fools… no, the Uchiha were too cunning to be fools." This young woman's voice was slurred and drunken, but wise none-the-less. "They were blind, too blind to see my gifts."

"Yes but… to exile a mere child, not even a toddler? One who had only seen four summers and could not speak, only observe? Disgraceful of them, to turn out one of their own… one of their own who is even more gifted than their so called prodigy… pathetic of them." The man permitted a dark laugh to race past his lips, making a shiver crawl up her spine.

"I do not hold a grudge against the Uchiha clan. They gave me my gifts, and turned me out making me much-hic- stronger than I would have ever been under their wing." A lazy hand reached up, and a breath of sake clouded the hooded man's sense of smell. She pointed into the man's face, grinning tiredly. "They were tricked by genius."

"I suppose you're correct my dear… all sense of fooling set aside… join me… a fellow exile of the Uchiha, on my quest to grant world peace… join the Akatsuki. Your powers will benefit us." The female let her hand drop to the table, her eyes suddenly not drunk anymore and her tone completely hostile.

"In a world of shinobi… there will never be peace. In a world of civilians… there will never be peace. So long as there are human beings pitted against one another… there will not be peace. I will not fight for world peace… it's a foolish dream that will never be accomplished." She stood from the table, knocking her chair back and pulling her bottle of hot sake from the table.

"Perhaps if you won't fight for world peace, you will fight to end rebellions against leaders." Her back was turned to the man, but she stopped in mid-step, allowing her hair to swing over her shoulders and caress the middle of her back as she spoke in a deadly calm voice.

"Haven't you heard?" The hooded man narrowed his eyes at the dangerous tone of her voice. "… I am a rebellion." And then she was gone. No evidence that she had ever even been there other than the tip on the table and the tipped over chair.

A dark chuckle left the man's lips as his fingers dribbled across the table again, stroking a swirly orange mask. "Precisely, my dear… when people see the face of their rebellion against unethical leaders has joined me… they will bow at my feet."

The man blinked, his eyes sliding shut and his mouth twisted in a rough smile. Then he was gone.\

**Aiko:**

It's been years. Years since I've laid eyes on an Uchiha, let alone an exile like myself. I wanted nothing to do with that clan, nothing to do with the people who had chosen to turn me away because I had not spoken a single word, or even made a single sound until the age of four.

A scowl graced my features as I took another swig of the sake bottle in my hand. My onyx eyes were stony and cold as they gazed out onto the black ocean which was illuminated by the moon. My left foot dangled off the cliffs edge, my right was propped on the ground in front of me.

"Aiko-Sama…" I timid voice spoke from behind me, disturbing the peace that I was relishing in.

"Hn…" I replied, not turning to look at the person who was talking to me.

"You've been sent a favor from the Akatsuki. A basket of sweets and exotic flowers you like. There was a note within the basket, I've brought it to you." I chuckled darkly and took another swig of my drink.

"Stupid prick won't take no for an answer…" I held out my left hand for the letter, snorting at the obviously expensive paper that had been used.

I chugged the last of my sake and then tossed the empty bottle to my side, where it would later be picked up by one of my followers.

I used my finger to tear the envelope and pulled out the note, taking in the elegant hand writing that had been used to send me this message.

_Aiko-San,_

_I trust that in due time you will see the reasoning behind my antics and join me on my quest to end the liberators of slavery and evils in this world. I will surely be back in time to speak with you again, for I seem to crave your lovely companionship as a fellow exile of the forsaken Uchiha Clan._

_I sincerely hope you enjoy the sweets and flowers I've sent you._

_Madara Uchiha._

With a drunken snort, I crumbled up the letter and shoved it in my pocket, walking forward to hunt down this basket of sweets. "Cheeky bastard."

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**A/N: So yes... my OC is a drunken but powerful rebellion leader named Aiko who was exiled by the Uchiha for being dubbed as a 'mute'... which she clearly was not.**

**Please let me know what you think of this in a review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank you for the reviews :) They mean alot to me, it feels nice to know people like my work.**_

Once again I own nothing :(

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Weeks have passed since Aiko's last encounter with Madara. She had liberated yet another village from the tyranny of a daimyo, making headlines all over the shinobi world. Portraits of her that did no justice to her delicate features were printed on the front page of news-papers and tabloids, warnings to other tyrannical leaders were being sent out like the Sunday morning paper, and fear was being driven into the hearts of all greedy village leaders.

Madara growled after five days of yet again, no response from the Kunoichi. It was beginning to become a hassle, constantly writing letters to her and nearly reducing his ever powerful form to _begging_. Disgraceful… no matter, though. Eventually, she would join him. Eventually, she would be his trump card against the hidden village of Konoha that did nothing to protect her…

A dark chuckle left his lips yet again as he thought of the raven haired beauty. She would become a pawn in his game, no matter what he had to do to get her.

**With Aiko:**

Letter after letter continuously poured in from the leader of the Akatsuki, each time from the same messenger bird, with that same stupid seal on them.

With another gulp of sake, Aiko tore the latest letter open with vigor, quickly growing tired of this mind game the Uchiha was playing with her.

_Dearest Aiko-Chan,_

_I am hurt by your lack of response. I think a visit is due, please, be expecting me within the next few days. I assure you that you will want to join me, it will be a smart decision on your part and a benefitting factor to your liberating ways._

_Madara Uchiha._

Perfect. Now, the sadistic bastard would be coming to try and convince her to join him yet again. Just, perfect.

A scowl seemed to be permanently etched onto her face as she knocked back more sake, grumbling under her breath, "I need more sake." Then, she looked up and called out, "Hiruko, I need more sake!"

"Hai, Aiko-Sama. I'll be back with your sake shortly." The man called back, and the faint whisper of the wind swishing around his vanishing form was heard.

Tossing the now empty bottle into the trash, the woman looked back onto the map splayed out on her desk. "Ame-gakure has a village just south of it that is under the control of Izuko Kamikazi… Kamikazi is the ruler of an under-cover drug dealing industry. Drug dealing means slavery… well well, looks like I'll be heading to Ame-Gakure then."

A snide smirk crossed her delicate features, before tense lines appeared on her face, her head shooting up. "Madara. You said days… not minutes."

"Ah, but yes… you see my dear, I sent that letter two days ago. According to my time frame… I'm right on schedule. What is this? New plans?" The tall, handsome man walked forward, bracing his hands on either side of her desk. His eyes raced over the map, taking in the empty circles and the full circles. "Are the full circles liberated areas?"

"Hai…" The woman grumbled, desperately wishing that her sake was in reach at this very moment… not later, she wanted it now.

"Interesting… you're heading to… Ame-gakure next? Oh, what a coincidence, so am I… perhaps you'll join me?" Sharp black eyes snapped up to the man's face, narrowing dangerously.

"Madara-San… I'm afraid the constant pestering is trying my nerves as of late…" Her tone was serious and not slurred, which was shocking considering the amount of Sake the woman had just drank.

"My dear, I simply wish that the only good parts of our family all reside in the same place! There are no more than four of us left, and I have suddenly realized that all four of us are extremely powerful… aren't you curious to meet the last two remaining Uchiha other than us?" Her narrowed eyes turned into a stony glare quickly, and she stood slowly.

"The Uchiha were not curious as to how I would turn out. I take no pride in the _fucking. Uchiha. Name_. Get that through your head." Madara frowned, only slightly, at the cold tone her voice now shouldered. Her hatred seemed to surpass even his own, for those wretched Uchiha elders.

"You see my dear… these two feel the same about our clan. Which is why I believe the four of us should band together, become the _new _Uchiha Clan… right the wrongs bestowed upon us." Madara attempted to reason with her, but the girl refused to have it, walking to the back of the large tent.

"The wrongs bestowed upon me can never be fixed… ever. I was a mere child, cast out and left to the evils of the world. You were a grown man, completely capable of taking care of yourself. Tell me, Madara… why would I want anything to do with something that has shamed itself so?" Her voice had softened, but held a dangerous undertone that convinced Madara not to approach her.

"I… cannot answer that question." Madara turned, scowling angrily at the fact that his pawn was taking so long to join him. Patience is not a skill one of his magnitude should ever need to possess, especially when he needs to be patient for a mere _woman_… The irony.

"Perhaps… if the other Uchiha's understand my reasoning's, I will consider joining you. But I am not making any promises, Madara-San. I made a promise to the world, and my journey as a liberator comes before anything else." Madara smirked. Victory for him would surely be close… all he would have to do would be threaten Itachi's precious Sasuke's life, and he would talk to her. Then, Sasuke would idolize her for her power, and do whatever he was told to get to her… it would be easy, too easy.

"Do not worry, Aiko-Chan. Next time, I'll bring the other Uchiha with me. Soon, we'll be meeting the last. The annihilation of the Uchiha was a… complicated process." She 'hned' in return, a typical Uchiha response. "Until next time, my dear."

And then he was gone. He left Aiko to her thoughts, while a common scowl was set on her face. Something about this entire situation was off… something about Madara was off, but that was to b expected… he was born and raised an Uchiha prick. It's common knowledge.

"I have your sake, Aiko-Sama!" A sigh of relief left the young woman's mouth, and she turned, taking the large crate of sake and placing it under her desk.

"About time…" She pulled out a single bottle and opened it, bringing it to her lips with a sigh of contentment on her lips and sipped at it, relishing the burning sensation of the alcohol passing through her throat.

"That's the stuff…" She mumbled contently, allowing a single hiccup to pass her lips before returning to her map and slurping the delicious beverage. "Now… where was I?"

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**A/N: I'll be working on the next chapter soon :) Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well, I'm a little discouraged by the lack of reviews, but I worked harder on this chapter than the last. It's slightly longer, a bit darker, and a whole lot more depressing... Sorry :3 you'll see where all of this falls together eventually.**

I once again own nothing :(

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The stench of blood clung to the air, while fear clouded the senses of the man who cowered in his utmost secret place. His body trembled and he fought to make sure he didn't bite off his tongue, struggling to not make any noise as _it _grew closer.

_It _was an over powering sense of killing intent. The sheer force of it was enough to draw this rowdy criminal to tears, panting and sweating in a mess on the floor under his desk in his secret room. "It doesn't matter where you hide… I'll find you regardless." A single tear dripped down the man's cheek as the rough female voice spoke, from just behind his secret door.

"Has it ever occurred to you…" A silent scream left his throat, due to the hand clasped around it. "That the fear wracking through your body is the same fear that those innocent people feel every time you raid the village for slaves?"

He was pressed against the wall, a tall raven haired female glaring at him with red eyes. She literally squeezed the life out of him, cutting off his air supply until he grew dizzy. "I-I'm sorry." He pleaded, dropping to his knees when she released him.

He looked up into her spinning eyes, tears freely rolling down his cheeks as this cold, empty face glared down upon him like he was nothing but dirt. "Is that what you tell the people you put into slavery… is that what you tell those innocent children before they are forced to watch your men rape their mothers… is that what you told the old woman hanging dead in a cell with bruises and cuts all over her body, before your men hung her?"

Her tone remained icy, never changing. The cold look in her eyes seemed to frost over, as she spat the next sentence. "Sorry… doesn't cut it this time around." The woman plunged her katana into the man's leg, twisting it before ripping it out.

A blood curdling scream left his throat, while her face remained schooled; never changing as she plunged the sword into his other leg and twisted into a full circle before ripping it out. "Believe me… you'll be begging for me to kill you in a few minutes."

Itachi kept his face calm, hidden under the mask of emptiness as he watched this woman torture a crime lord who had the blood of many on his hands.

"Think of this as a personal vendetta." The younger Uchiha turned to his elder kinsman, silently questioning what the older man was saying. "Normally, she kills them quickly. This man is being tortured because two years ago her student was a spy here… they sent back her head and body… separately. Her student was raped, tortured, and abused for several hours before they finally killed her. Aiko kept a straight face in front of others… but she has been broken ever since her student died."

The younger raven nodded slowly in understanding, watching as she snapped both of his ankles and smirked at his screams. "Two years ago…" Both Uchiha turned to the last female of the clan as she spoke to her prey, "I sent my student here to spy on you. She was here for three months and sent me enough information on you to know every last one of the names I would need to figure out exactly who you were…"

The man looked up, his face pathetically tear stricken and confused, relaying mass amounts of pain. "You should remember her. She was beautiful. Her hair was long and red, her eyes blue and pure… Her name was Hana. You killed her. She was like a daughter to me, and you killed her. Your men beat and raped her while she was shackled to a wall, then proceeded to torture her inhumanely. Finally they killed her, after hours."

She grew quiet, but all three men could feel the rage boiling up in the killing intent she already possessed. It grew, tenfold. Itachi himself shuddered only slightly at how terrifying it was, to feel rather than see all of this woman's rage.

"You sent me her head, and said let this be a warning. Two days later, I received her body, naked, bruised, and cut up. Frankly, I'm not as weak as you. I restrained myself, because if I hadn't, you would have died quickly." Her voice was low and dangerous; anger slowly bubbling up to the surface as she trailed a line down his chest, then castrated him with a kunai. His screams rang out through the lifeless base that had once been thriving with criminal activity.

"I waited, patiently until I knew I could look you in the eyes while I carved my name into your body, broke every bone in your pathetic being, and broke your soul so that the devil himself couldn't enjoy torturing you." A sinister smirk came to her face as the man's eyes widened in horror, realizing much more pain was to come.

"This pleasure… will be mine and mine alone. You destroyed my most important possession… now I'm going to destroy you."

Hours passed, and the woman had finally decided to put an end to her torturing. She sliced the man's head clean off his shoulders, before kicking his body over and crushing his shoulders into nearly dust with her foot.

"Tell me… did you enjoy the show." Itachi was shocked that she knew they were there… but Madara wasn't.

Aiko was peculiar, and seemed to be aware of every little thing going on around her. For her to slip up and not realize they were watching her while she tortured this man to the point that he was screaming for someone, anyone to kill him… would have been disappointing.

"I rather did actually. Tell me, was it Hana's death that sent you into your drinking fazes?" Madara tilted his head, crossing his arms. He knew very well the answer but he wanted to see her reaction.

"Don't you speak her name!" Her snarl was solidified with an intense glare in Madara's direction. "She was an angel, you hear me?! An angel! Monsters like you do not _deserve _to know she even _existed._"

"Hana was your everything Aiko. I know this. You loved her like a daughter, picked her up in a village because her parents were killed and turned her out a fine shinobi. You miss her." A knife that no one had even seen fly across the room embedded itself into the wall next to Madara's head.

"I said **shut up**!" Her Sharingan was swirling angrily, her blood splattered body shaking in rage. "Do not speak of it like you know the pain of losing a child! Losing someone you yourself raised and promised to always love and protect. _Don't you fucking __**dare **__act as though you broke the one promise you actually wanted to keep!_"

"So this is how the great liberator Uchiha Aiko acts when bad memories are brought up." Madara chuckled to himself, ignoring the raging swirls of her chakra swirling around her.

"Uchiha Madara… if you continue to speak you will make an enemy out of me rather than an ally." Her tone became deadly calm and Madara looked up into her Sharingan with his own red eyes.

"My apologies, Aiko-Chan. It just shocks me to know that there is something that… ruffles your feathers, so-to-speak." Madara took a step forward, holding his hand out to her. "I cannot promise you a replacement of Hana-San, but I can provide you with another child who needs someone to look over-"

"No!" Her horrified tone shocked the two men, the pure look of fear in her eyes by this statement making something tick in Madara's head. "I-I'm too busy. I need to leave." And so she did, in a spiral of hurting chakra. The last thing Itachi saw of the woman was the tears in her eyes.

"Hana-Chan… are you happy?" Aiko sat in her quarters, surrounded in clothing and pictures that were obviously not hers. Tears left sinful tracks town her alabaster cheeks, while she hiccupped constantly. "I failed you, Hana-Chan… are you angry with me?"

A hiccup left her throat, while she rubbed a bloodied, torn shirt against her face. She inhaled deeply, letting out a heart-wrenching sob as she exhaled.

Itachi watched from her window, while Madara frowned at the pathetic sight in front of them. Itachi understood her pain, not being able to see his brother, knowing that his brother was completely corrupted by that prick Orochimaru, and probably nothing like he once had been.

Madara refused to allow him-self to be pestered by petty emotions, ignoring everything that spoke out against his calm, cool, and dominant nature. Anything other than that… was out of his comfort zone.

"Let's go. She's of no use to me at the moment. We will return to collect her in a few weeks." Itachi nodded, forcing himself to leave his hurting relative on her own in her darkest hour.

"I've failed you, Hana-Chan."

_I've failed you, Sasuke-Kun._

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**A/N: Please, please, _please_ leave a review :3 It will let me know that you like the story so far and would like to read more... I don't want to be posting this out there only so it recieves dead air. :P**

**Until next time!**

**Alsooooo... there was an alternate chapter for this one. I chose to post this one rather than the other... if you're curious as to what that one came out as you can leave a review and I'll post it as an alternate to this one and continue the story from which ever one you prefer!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the wait! :( If you haven't already noticed I wasn't happy with the last chapter... I deleted it and replaced it with this one, which benefits the plot of the story much more and gives me more openings to write from.**

I still own nothing...

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It's remarkable how quickly a person will change sides under the right kind of temptation. There are of course the greedy ones who will do anything you tell them for a single dollar that you wave in the air. Others are wooed by the ever delightful tales of love, worship, and eternal glory. Of course, you have your avengers, the ones who will do anything to obtain any type of power they can get their idiotic paws on…

Then there is Aiko. One without the fears of temptation due to the fact that she has let herself fall for the schemes of each… Aiko, who is one who takes a bad situation and makes it worse, then learns from it in the worst form it can possibly take.

There is Aiko, who has nothing nor the need to want anything.

Madara Uchiha snarled, slapping the bottle of sake away from his desk and allowing it to collide with the wall, shattering to pieces and letting the hot liquid drip down the walls. His servants would clean it later. He had tried everything in the book. Money, power, glory, justice… none of it served him the way he needed it too.

With a growl he rose, clenching his fists as he realized he would have to take it to measures he did not want to have to bring it to. He was going to have to seep down to her level… he was going to play dirty, and she was not going to like it.

"He will _not!" _Juan-Feng winced at his masters scream. Her drunken bouts were bad, but there was no comparison that wouldn't appear child-like at the fear he felt for her anger. "I will _demolish him_ if he so much as _touches _her grave!"

She lashed around, grabbing a feather pen and a bottle of ink, scribbling messily onto the paper for about ten minutes before blowing on it with a wind jutsu that knocked his hat off of his head. She folded and sealed the letter then slammed it into his chest.

"You tell Uchiha Madara that I would sooner _cut out my heart _than _join _the likes of him on the battle field after _that_." Then she was gone. Juan-Feng allowed a sigh to escape his lips before he went on his way, his sandaled feet slapping against the ground until he faded out of sight.

Sasuke Uchiha stood deep in the forest surrounding the base that belonged to the shinobi he had sought out. Aiko, Uchiha Aiko, the only female Uchiha left, and possibly the only person able to completely demolish Uchiha Itachi.

After weeks of extensive snooping, he had finally heard wind of where she was staying. Foolishly, he invaded that area. Her guards appeared to not have noticed him at all, which was shocking seeing how _they were each supposedly elite shinobi… maybe she wasn't all she cracked up to be._

An eerie silence fell upon Sasuke, which put his senses on alert. No birds calling, no people talking, even the quiet babble of the stream ceased to his near-perfect hearing…

Suddenly, with a large crack, the tree he was perched on and every tree in front of it were leveled, completely demolished. Standing at the edge of this un-natural disaster was a black haired, red-eyed woman who oozed irritation from every pore of her small body.

"Who sent you." She demanded, and suddenly the birds were calling, the wind blowing, and the stream babbling again.

… Maybe she is everything she cracked up to be.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke."

"What do you want from me, Uchiha Sasuke." She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, her sharingan eyes swirling, the three tomoe surrounding her pupils spiraling in and out dangerously.

"I come to ask you to train me in the ways of elite Uchiha Shinobi, as the clan would have wished I be-"

Sasuke was cut off by a punch to his face, sending him flying back before he was lifted to his toes by his throat. His back was painfully thrust up against a tree, bark digging into his back. "I am completely sickof you egotistical Uchiha bastards acting as though I owe that pathetic excuse of a clan _anything _after I was illegitimately _exiled._"

She dropped him and he landed on his rump, her movements too quick for him to keep up with. "They created you, and you dishonor them as if you are greater…"

Another sharp punch had Sasuke's head reeling as the female grabbed his face. "I know I am greater because I would not exile a child for imperfections as they did. Now, why are you here."

"I wish… to be trained… in your ways." Sasuke felt his head nodding backwards, and his eyes drifted as he felt his body being lifted from the ground and tossed over a shoulder.

"Much better, pest."

Sasuke woke in a clean area, with various shades of red and a cool cloth being rubbed over his face. His eyes opened slowly, and a woman with onyx eyes who reminded him so much of his mother was dabbing at his face with a white cloth.

"The mangekyou Sharingan is a dangerous tool that leads to disease and system malfunctions. While it provides you with power, it slowly kills you." Sasuke barely made sense of what he was being told, until he felt a sharp pressure to his temples.

"You will not use your Sharingan if you are to be trained by me, you will learn without it." Sasuke felt elated… he was going to be trained by a _real _Uchiha shinobi master… he will surely be able to destroy every fiber of Itachi's being in no time…

Mutiny. Foul play. Disgraceful… just a few of the choice words sloppily scribbled down onto the paper in Madara's hand.

His lips set into a terrible frown, and a vein pulsed in his forehead. He had much work to be done, and very little time to do it. This was a major set-back… emotional trauma was not something he felt he should ever have to deal with, yet here he was, dealing with a chronically depressed woman who had no shred of pride in her last name. She had nothing to protect, nothing to be bribed with, and nothing that appealed to her.

Threatening her did not seem to work well either, due to the less than satisfactory words slanted out across the paper explaining in graphic detail what would be done to his genitals if he so much as breathed on Aiko's precious Hana-Chan's grave…

He would have to find another approach. The only question left being_ what _approach…

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**A/N: I just would like to inform you that I am trying painfully to over come a serious case of writers block... so hate me not, please?**

**Haha, review ! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi guys! Next chapter up. I would have posted it sooner... but I was out all weekend. I went to my friends saturday night and then I went to the monster outbreak world tour last night. Asking Alexandria is the love of my life... haha anywayyyyy.**

**I own nothing :(**

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It was mocking. Hanging in his face and taunting him like nothing else had ever been able to. Uchiha Sasuke prided himself in many things. Teachers, sadly, are not one of those things. He knew the snake bastard was a joke compared to this female but… she never seemed to want to do anything.

Every time he saw her she was waving around a bottle of sake and proclaiming things that made his schooled expression screw up in distaste. At this rate… he would rather train under the snake-bastard than this drunken moron.

He tried to remind himself that she was capable of giving Itachi a run for his money, but at times like this one… it was difficult. "C'mon you ninny! Take a sip!" The drunken woman was swaying on her feet, waving the half-empty bottle of sake in the Uchiha's face. "Liquid courage my pupil!"

"Aiko-Sensei that is not logical." Sasuke took the bottle from her and set it down next to him, keeping it just out of her reach. The woman looked at him with glassy eyes, her lips spread apart and her bitter breath making the younger Uchiha wince in distaste. "You've consumed enough of this… no more."

"You see-hic-Sasuke-Kun… although I am drunk… I could kick your ass to Kumogakure and back." And then she was gone. Sasuke was only aware of her presence on his other side due to the sloshing of the sake bottle in her grip.

"When are you going to train me? I've been here for three weeks as you've done nothing but get completely drunk every day!" Sasuke glowered at the woman, watching as she tried and failed in her drunken state, to give him a stern look.

"Sasuke Uchiha, I will train you when I see it fit to. You can hold your own right now so that'll do until you come to me with an alternate reason." She did not fumble, she did not stutter, and she did not sway as she stood, squaring her shoulders and looking out onto the horizon. "Revenge is many things. Fulfilling, sweet, relieving… but it is also empty, bitter, and back-stabbing. If you-hic-dedicate your life to destroying your brother… when you finally do, there won't be anything left inside of you. You'll be empty."

"… Don't preach to me your drunken wisdom, Aiko-Sensei." The Uchiha male scowled, turning his head away from the female and allowing a small frown to penetrate his ever-present irritated expression.

"Though I am as you say… 'drunk' Sasuke… I am very capable to do everything people say I cannot. Can you honestly say the same, in your sober state?" Sasuke mulled the thought over in his head, then frowned when he realized that no, he could not say the same.

"Hn… as I stated before. Come to me with an honest reason to train and you'll get what you seek. Now be gone, pest. There is drinking to be done and I am much willing to do it." Sasuke scowled and left, leaving behind nothing but a breeze in his wake.

Uchiha Madara once again sat in the shadows of the outskirts of Uchiha Aiko's temporary placement. Few ideas had embedded themselves into his head, yet each of them had the same mental outcome of him being screamed at.

Itachi was told to remain at the base, due to his brother having finally joined Aiko for training… however, Aiko was peculiar when it came to training. Sasuke was 'sufficient enough' but his intentions were not pure, so she would not train him… yet again, the woman created a major set-back in the tight schedule of Uchiha Madara's world domination plans.

It was becoming a rather infuriating bit…

She as well as several of her men were sat around a fire, each with a bottle of sake and singing drunken _songs horribly out of tune in their disheveled states. It was rather pathetic for one of Madara's rank to_ be watching…

How such a… drunk, for lack of a better word, could possibly be so strong failed to be brought to the light for Uchiha Madara. One thing he was sure of, was that she would succumb to his plans, willingly or not. She was too powerful and important in his schemes, and he could not set his actual plan into motion until she was placed safely under his thumb with the other two Uchiha's, who would be much easier to convince…

With a whispering breeze, Madara was no longer in sight.

Sasuke worked his frustrations out on a tree stump from the weeks before that had been demolished in one of the soldiers training sessions… they were all so powerful, her elites. He wanted that power, that power and more.

"Sasuke… demolishing a tree is not going to make you 'enlightened' or a better pupil in anyway." Sasuke froze and turned. How had he not heard her approach?

It was one of those rare days, the ones where there was no sake to be found for miles and Aiko was completely one-hundred percent sober. She was rather productive on these days, checking on everything and coming out with detailed plans to liberate more villages from crime lords, slavery, and tyranny.

"What do you recommend that I do…" He growled, squeezing his fists to prevent himself from lashing out at her. It hadn't ended well the last time he tried.

"The stream. It isn't very far from here and is the ideal place to meditate. I want you to go there, and find an alternative reason for me to train you. Clear your mind, think about what it is that you actually _want_, Sasuke. Then come back at night, and head out again at dawn. Cleanse your body." The wind blew, lifting her hair from her shoulders and Sasuke nearly exploded, then thought better of it and did as .

Hours, minutes, seconds, days… they all seemed to blend into one.

Sasuke couldn't be sure how long he had been sitting on the stone by the stream, but he was sure that he was completely sick of it.

The babble of the water was indeed calming, and the smells were enough to nearly put him to sleep… but there was nothing enlightening about sitting on a rock in front of a moving body of water. Nothing enlightening at all.

"You're still here, kid?" Sasuke looked up at the tall spikey haired male who had a scar slanted across his face. Many times he had given Aiko ideas that she heavily took into consideration. Hiruko, Sasuke was sure that his name was.

"Hn."

"Do you know why she won't train you?" Sasuke froze at those words, looking up at the male whose eyes were much older than his face.

"… No."

"Because you want nothing but revenge, _Uchiha_. I'm sure she's told you this many times… but revenge is sweet for a while. But what comes after it? After you manage to defeat your enemy, after you manage to kill the person whose haunted you your entire life… what do you make of yourself after you've set yourself on the non-stop path of an avenger?"

No matter how hard Sasuke tried, he could not answer the man.

"Nothing. You make nothing of yourself, because there is nothing left of you to make something out of. You've used it all up, and there is no turning back."

And then the man was gone.

Sasuke pondered the idea for hours, minutes, seconds, days… he wasn't sure. Yet he couldn't find the answer before the sun caressed the horizon, and so he retired to his bed roll to rest, dreading tomorrow and his third day of pondering the topic that could not be figured out in his ever-so-complex mind…

The next morning Sasuke was thrilled… he had come up with a good reason for his sensei to train him, and she surely couldn't deny him now…

"Aiko-Sensei?" He poked his head into her tent and found her hunched over her desk, pawns scattered about the room and a shattered sake bottle on the floor in a puddle of its own liquid. She wasn't awake, Sasuke could tell that much from the slight raise of her back.

"I don't recommend waking her up. Here, how about you come and have a morning sparring session with me?" Sasuke looked from his sensei to Juan-Feng, her right hand. He blinked slowly, trying to force his chakra through the block to his eyes. With a scowl, he failed and nodded his head, following the tall man out to the training field.

An hour passed, and the two were going blow for blow, though the older male was obviously going easy on the teen. Suddenly, the man was on his back and Sasuke elevated in the air by his shirt collar. "Juan-Feng, have I not said that _no one _was to train with him until I said otherwise?!" Her voice was livid, and she slung Sasuke across the field with a flick of her wrist.

The entire camp was watching now, and Aiko stood over her right hand, her eyes livid. "Perhaps if you're so eager for a morning training session, you'll train with _me."_ Everyone froze, and Sasuke had to admit he was rather intimidated. She was deadly while intoxicated, and here she stood completely sober and looking murderous.

"Aiko-Sensei, I found a new reason to train." She turned, and starred Sasuke down.

"What would this be?"

"… I want to protect Konoha-Gakure."

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**Oh sHiT... haha review please ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So my little brother is a fucking asshole. Just saying.**

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Three months is not a lot of time. Not enough time to become a master, not enough time to be able to leave training, and not enough to make his own decisions, according to Aiko. Sasuke had undergone a vicious entry, pushing his body to its limits and his brain to its end. Aiko surely knew how to strain a man.

"Good, Sasuke-Kun. Less force however, that move is not about your strength, but turning your opponents own strength against them. Do it again." Sasuke grit his teeth, looking up at this woman who forced him to abandon his revenge in order to train.

"Why does he have to do it again Aiko-San, he did it perfectly!?" A pink haired female was watching from the sidelines, her hands clasped in front of her while her eyes glistened in joy at having the center of her affections back in place.

"… Girl. Silence yourself. Your presence irks me." Her tone was perfectly calm, though the way her hands were folded over her face clued everyone in on her irritation. "I said, do it again."

"She's right!" Sasuke exclaimed, yelling at his Sensei who was perched on a stone above him while he practiced against her best trained soldier. "I've been doing the same sequence for hours now, I've perfected it! Move on-"

"You have not perfected _anything _Uchiha Sasuke. You are still as pathetic as you were when you first begged me to train you." All eyes turned to the long haired raven female who drew even the birds to silence with the anger radiating off of her. "It's beginning to frustrate me."

"I have so!"

"Then _prove _it." Sasuke batted his lid and his Sensei was no longer perched on the rock but in front of him, calm, collected, and completely wasted.

"You're _drunk!_" Sasuke exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air and turning his back to her. His mistake.

He was face-deep in the dirt that second, Aiko crouched on his back with a sadistic grin on her face as she purred, "Well, this should be easy then Sasuke-Kun."

Sasuke flipped her off of his back and she landed gracefully before charging at him like a lioness stalking her prey, lethal and graceful, a deadly beauty. Sasuke launched himself at her, trying to use the move she had just taught him.

She countered it with the same exact move and sent Sasuke into the dirt face-first with a disgusting _crunch_. "Are you done _wasting my damn time!?_"

Her bellow caused every bird in the village take to the sky before settling back into the trees wearily. Anger seeped through her pores and radiated off of her in the form of pure, unrestrained chakra. Her eyes were blazing with the Sharingan as were Sasuke's while she held him down with her foot. "You're _just like them_. You are _perfect _and _less than such _will not even be considered! You are failing my training because you cannot open your _eyes, _Sasuke."

The spectators remained where they were, Hatake Kakashi watching his old student get man handled with a smirk hidden by his mask. Mighty Gai, looking horrified at the sheer strength she possessed. Lady Hokage, full on grinning at the similar anger her age-old student had.

"You are wasting my time, Uchiha Sasuke. You are not _ready _to train under me… and at this rate… you never will be." She stood then, looking over at Tsunade and saying clear as day, "I cracked two ribs. He'll need medical attention. Keep that pink haired disgrace as far away from me as possible."

Sakura looked angry and willing to say something, but then she caught the older woman's eyes.

Aiko Uchiha did not have kind eyes. She had the eyes of a murderer, the eyes of one who did not care, and was not cared for. Cold, dead eyes that held no love, no sense of self preservation, no joy… nothing other than an anger that could not be measured, and a deep angry hatred. The older woman gave the pinkette a look that clearly terrified the girl because that next second the girl took a shuddering step back before sprinting as far away as she could. "As for this one… strap him to a bed with chakra restraints. I'll be in to… fix him, later."

She was no longer where she had been standing.

Her soldier helped Sasuke up and patted his back lightly. "It'll be alright Sasuke-San. Aiko-Sama is a very tough trainer… she's used to perfection. You have very big shoes to fill and I doubt it'll take you long to do it once you grasp a good reason to fight."

Sasuke did not speak. Aiko was _right_. He had felt as though he was on top of the world for three months now, and he realized he had come at the training all wrong. It wasn't about him gaining power… it was about him finding a reason to gain power.

"Find Sakura-Chan. Aiko was rather harsh to her…" Tsunade frowned, upset due to the hurt her current student was in because of her old student. "Sasuke. You'll be taken to the hospital. Aiko-Chan will be in to see you shortly."

Sasuke stared up at the ceiling, images of his parent's death going through his mind and blocking his vision. Pain was welled up in his chest, from the broken ribs or the shattered heart the Uchiha did not know. But he knew that he did not like this feeling.

"Does it hurt you much?" Sasuke looked at the familiar voice, seeing his Sensei come stumbling into the room with a bottle of sake in hand. She sipped at it and the Uchiha scowled. This… this _drunk _was more powerful than he could ever be. "I-hic- asked you a question, Sasuke-Kun. Does it hurt you much?"

"… Yes."

"… Then –hic- let it go. Let it be free, like a bird." Sasuke listened to his sensei's drunken babble. "It'll get rid of the pain, you see. It'll stop it from hurting so much, you see… but you'll never forget it, you see."

His brow furrowed and he turned his head to look at the drunk woman who had obviously had gone _way _past her limits. "And how will it help me then?"

"… You won't be angry about it anymore. If you accept it, accept the fact that you can't do anything… it'll help. A little bit, but it'll feel-hic- fantastic." Sasuke glared at her.

"I can do something- I can _kill my brother!_"

"Ah… you think this will fix everything?" Sasuke looked at his Sensei who chuckled and sipped at her sake again. "You-hic-think killing Uchiha Itachi will bring your parent's back to life, even though they are long since gone and dead and underground?"

Sasuke looked at her in anger, glaring. "Shut up! You don't-"

"Shut the _fuck up_." Her snarl shocked him.

"I do know. I know more than _you_ will ever. You will never understand, witness, take part of the things-hic- I've had to do. So don't reverse the situation, Uchiha Sasuke." She stood up and put her glowing hands over his ribs, resetting the bones. "If you let it go and accept that they aren't coming back and that you'll never be able to prove you are more than your brother… it will be so much easier. They can rest in peace, your brother will be like a chicken with no head… You won't have a care in the world. Now-hic- it's easier said than done but… when you can finally let this revenge of yours go… you will truly harness the ultimate power."

Sasuke mulled this over in his head before he shook it off, deciding that it was just the alcohol speaking. His teacher was an alcoholic who knew him inside and out. Perfect.

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**A/N: My little brother is still a fucking asshole. Nothing's changed. Review please :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello all! I'm terribly sorry about the wait. I've managed to catch myself in an ocean of writers block. I was hit with inspiration and I'm nearly finished with the next chapter as well!**

**I hope that you haven't lost interest in this story because of the wait, as everything is about to start picking up now ;)**

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Sasuke woke in a haze, unaware of what was going on around him. Slowly, he began to sit up, cringing at the ache in his ribs from the particularly hard blow dealt by his teacher. The first thing he noticed was the blackness surrounding him, cancelled by the dull candle light flickering sinfully in the corner of the room.

The raven turned his head to the left, his chin down slightly due to the haze caused by the sedative his mentor had used on him. His black eyes rested on the lone figure sitting on the cliffs edge, one leg propped up on the side with an arm handing lazily over it while the other leg dangled over the edge.

The Uchiha male forced himself to stand, hobbling his way out the door and to his sensei, who did not look at him. Sasuke knew she knew he was there… she always knew when he was there.

"How are your ribs, Sasuke-Kun?" Her eyes were glazed slightly, be it from the alcohol or tiredness Sasuke did not know. She turned her head only slightly, her eyes peering up at him from the corners.

"… Tender." He replied. He wrapped an arm around them, knowing that his Sensei was someone he could allow his guard down around. She swore with the very blood flowing through her veins to protect him, promised him things and always came through with them. She would hurt him physically and then knock him out before starting the meticulous effort of healing him.

His sensei was an alright healer, but no-where near the level of the Sannin-Hokage. She only healed him if it was too late to call for help or if it required immediate attention.

Sasuke noticed many things about his sensei. She is a happy drunk, and irritated when she wasn't happy being drunk. She was a master of the silent killing technique, but she enjoyed being up-front and face-to-face when fighting. She with-holds a riveting hate for beating around the bush. However, there was one thing Sasuke could not pin down to his sensei.

What reason did she have to fight?

Sure, she fights to protect her people and those who have little or no rights… but there is something underlying that Sasuke cannot pin-down to the Uchiha woman.

"Hn…" Spoken like a true Uchiha… Sasuke amused himself with the thought slightly before he looked over at his sensei and realized there were tears streaming down her face and her palms were bleeding, broken pieces of the sake bottle embedded into her palms. "Hic."

She hiccupped slightly before looking away from the boy and back to the stars. "Sensei… you're crying." Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes, thinking of the million things he could have said other than that.

"… I suppose I am." She nodded slightly, proving to Sasuke that she had went over her limits on the sake again. Not that it didn't happen often… or every day. She stayed silent for a few moments, before she spoke quietly again. "Sasuke-Kun… do you miss your parents horribly? Is there just a big… gaping hole in the place their love once was? Do you feel… empty?"

Sasuke was shocked. He knew his sensei was a happy drunk, but at this point, for her to be so… emotional…? Yes, emotional… she had to have passed those boundaries.

"… Yes. I suppose so."

The young male eyed the woman who shifted, placing her hands in her lap and letting her legs dangle over the cliffs edge, her eyes locked on her hands. "Do you wish you could have done something?" She looked at him, her eyes hurt and betrayed. "Do you hate them for leaving, but love them so much it tears at your heart to think their name, yet the taboo is on your mind constantly?"

"… Yes, sensei. Yes." The woman hiccupped, before looking to the stars and leaning back on her palms.

"You and I are alike in that matter, you see. " She stated, more tears rolling down her cheeks. "We both fight for selfish reasons."

Sasuke gaped at the woman, wondering what the hell about fighting for the revenge of their clan made him _selfish_? "I don't understand. I fight for my clan, how is that selfish."

"Sasuke…" She looked over at him, her head rolling slightly and her eyes giving him a chilling look. "Your family is dead. They aren't coming back, and killing your brother isn't going to bring them back."

"I know that! They were your family too!" A scowl graced her lips.

"No… no they were not. I was shunned. And so they have been as well." She shook her head, then frowned. "They are dead. Dead, gone, never returning. Sasuke, we fight for people we've lost and constantly cling to their memory with void hope of their return. It is not fair of us to cling to their spirit so. They cannot rest if we constantly hold to them."

Sasuke shook his head, arguing with his sensei's reasoning internally. "Sensei… I believe you've had too much to drink."

"No, no… Sasuke, I am right, you see? How can they rest with our minds constantly plaguing them with our love, hatred, sorrow, and self-pity… how can they rest when we hold onto them so tightly, refusing to allow them the tranquility of the after-life… They cannot." Her head once again rolled down and her eyes shut softly, more tears streaming from the closed lids. "They suffer just as we do, Sasuke-Kun. Due to our selfish reasoning, the people we love suffer."

Then she stood, hobbling away in her drunken state before disappearing behind the brush. A frown marred the younger Uchiha's face. What she had said… her words could not be true…

But then… why did they make so much sense?

A dark scowl was on Madara Uchiha's handsome face while he swatted his letters to the side and off of the table, causing them to flutter down to the ground in a messy disarray of paper.

"She's becoming petty, Itachi. Your brother is once again _mucking up my plans_." The older Uchiha male snarled angrily, his eyes filled to the brim with boiling rage and non-mistakable anger. His fingernails bit into the wood of his personal desk, causing indentations to slide down where he curled his fingers inward.

"… It is always darker before the dawn, Madara-Sama. We have given her Sasuke and its caused memories she has forced away to resurface. Give her time, Sasuke will cause her to open up and she will be perfect for your plan…"

Madara stood, rising to his full height and cast around him a terrifying aura of hatred, disgust, and violence. "For your sake, Itachi… I hope you are correct."

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**Yeah buddy :D**

**Review please c:**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you all for reviewing and fav oriting c: I tried to get this out as qu ickly as possible! I hope you enjoy!**

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Mid-spring air had a tangible feel to it , one that caused cheer and joy to spre a d through all it graced with its pres e nc e. Birds sang, plants grew, the gra ss be came its joyful shade of rich gree n that caressed the treads of by-passers , trav elers, and ninja's alike.

Aiko hated the spring.

Her camp grounds were as open and lush a s ever, rich tarps decorating the area i n various shades, a fire pit in the ce nt er of the oddly shaped temporary pla c eme nt, and one could just imagine her w alki ng through in her black clothing , w ith h er long dark hair and a bottle of sake e ver present in her hand. She was usually barking orders, but in the s prin g her m ost loyal followers knew no t to rub her the wrong way.

"… This is why it is important that we k eep up on our food supplies. So please, explain to me _why the fuck there is no bread in the pa ntry_?!" The men winced as she screamed at th em, her sake bottle thrashed to the flo o r in her fit of rage. "The weather is wa rming, sending thrills to your heads . If you don't adjust quickly, I'll be s u re to knock your heads clean off your sh oul ders."

She stormed out of the food pantry, her face livid. "You!" She pointed at a sold ier who was in her upper ranks. "Assem team. Establish a complete perimet er an d notify me of every spider in the tr ee s. Go, now." The man nodded and was go n e in a second.

"Aiko-Sensei, you seem stressed." The wo man looked towards Sasuke, who had let h is hair grow to nearly his shoulders.

"And you seem like you need a fucking ha ir-cut, don't disturb me." The younger U chiha blinked, rolling his eyes before f ollowing his sensei into her tent whe re she was throwing things around. The t wo had come back to the camp grounds f or ha lf the spring to further Sasuke's tr aini ng, and they returned to a wreck . T he or iginal replacement leader had been murde red in a raid, and the next t o co ntrol t he group was, for lack of b etter wording , a fucking _idiot_.

"Aiko-Sensei, would you like me to go to the village and get the proper supplies ." The woman looked to Sasuke with a ra r e soft gleam to her eyes before she l e t out a sigh.

"That would be helpful, Sasuke. Bring Ju an-Feng with you, and have him gather H i ruko and Ichigo as well. I have a lis t o f what we lacked from the inventory I to ok, here…" She placed the list and a pou ch of coins into his hands.

Sasuke nodded his head and vanished in t hat second. Aiko turned and looked t pl ans that were laid out on her desk . The re were spots of blood decorating i t an d she scowled. "Idiot." She knocked th e pawns off the table before picking up a feathered pen and a bottle of ink.

Uchiha Aiko was seen exactly as she is, a strong, independent, sadistic yet stra tegic leader. When she spoke people sto p ped to listen, actually caring about w ha t she had to say… whether it be a d ru nke n tirade or a sober soliloquy, pe opl e he ard.

That was something Uchiha Sasuke admired about his sensei. After the first few w eeks of giving up his revenge she helpe d him to find 'inner peace', which was r e ally just her slipping him small amo un ts of alcohol with his dinner.

She'd begun intense training, and was ab out to leave her camp and mission under the control of Hiruko for a year while s he brought Sasuke along on a world-wid e venture to help him increase his powe r a nd to find more of a purpose on the p lan et.

Sasuke did not miss her gaze as it softe ned while she looked at him, nor did he miss the motherly tone she used while s c olding him for going against her wish e s or disagreeing with her. She had gro wn t o enjoy stroking his hair, which he f oun d strangely relaxing. She woke hi m f rom his nightmares, talked with him abou t th em, and shared similar stories to t hat o f his childhood of a young g irl na med Ha na who had joined Aiko's f orces i n the v ery beginning, when the Uchiha-f emale wa s only ten.

What had happened to this Hana was uncle ar to Sasuke, it was a touchy subjec no ne of the other men seemed as open t o s ay the name as Sasuke was. A great sa dn ess washed over any area that her name w as mentioned in, so he could only assu m e the girl was no longer with the livin g…

"She loves you, you know?" Hiruko joined Sasuke, who was staring off the edge of a cliff, a habit he'd picked up from Ai ko. Sasuke looked over at the older mal e , a silent question lingering in the a ir .

"What?"

"Aiko-Sama… I don't think you've heard t he whole story of Hana-Chan." Sasuke sh o ok his head. "Well… it's not my place to tell you. However, I can tell you th a t I haven't seen Aiko-Sama look at som eo ne the way she looks at you… Well, at le as t not since Hana-Chan passed."

"What was Hana like?" Sasuke asked, look ing over at the older male.

The voice that answered was not Hiruko's … "She was like the air. Calm, care-fre e , and loving." Sasuke looked back to A ik o, who had a soft look on her sober f ace . Hiruko stood and left, while Ai ko sat on a rock next to Sasuke. "Hana-C han was like my daughter. She would be y our age now. I rescued her from a fire t hat was set by someone whom I killed on a w him that day. She lost her parents a nd w as o nly about four years old. I wa s ten ." Ai ko had a glazed look in her eyes n ow as she spoke, sad, yet happy.

"I took her under my wing and began to t rain her, while I myself was still unde r going training by Tsunade-Sama. After fi ve years, I had nothing left to lear n fr om Tsunade. I began training myself , and Hana along the way. A few years ba c k, I sent her in as a spy on a mission . It w as simple, she would infiltrate a n enemy base and stay there for a few we ek s… a month or so later her head was s ent back to me, and in a few days her bo dy follo wed. I was a wreck, but I knew tha t if I attacked right away I wouldn' t be able to drag it out like I wanted t o." Her ey es darkened sadistically, and som ething told Sasuke that she had got ten t his rev enge… but not only that sh e'd ob tained i t, but that she enjoyed it. Too k her tim e torturing whoever hu rt her l oved one…

"I waited a few years. Not very long ago , I conquered everything that man stood for. I killed every last one of his sub o rdinates, freed all of his slaves, de s tr oyed everything he stood for. Then I fou nd him and killed him slowly and s en sual ly, enjoying every second of it. " S asuke found that he was right.

"How… how did it feel?"

"At the moment it was wonderful. Then af terwards I sat back and thought to myse l f about Hana-Chan… she would have bee n d isgusted by my actions, she hated wa t chi ng me kill because I did it so eff or tles sly… I still do. Revenge wasn't all I ha d expected it to be, Sasuke. Wh ich is wh y I won't train you if that is al l you'r e after… this empty feeling does n't pass quickly, and it's much wor se th an the p ain you feel now."

She stood, patting the Uchiha males head and speaking softly. "Let's get back to the fort and get some sleep. We leave t omorrow at noon."

The two rose and walked away, Aiko allow ing Sasuke to leave before her. She tur n ed around, her sharingan flaring as s h e glared in the direction of the two h id de n Uchiha males across the water wa y.

"They'll come to, won't they?" Madara's voice held a promise of eternal pain and suffering as he looked over at his youn ger clan member.

"She is only helping Sasuke to find a re ason other than revenge to become power f ul. If she joins, he will. I'm sure o f i t."

"Yet again, Itachi Uchiha. For your sake … I hope so." Madara vanished, leaving I tachi to hold a staring contest with t he Uchiha female from cliff to cliff.

He blinked, and felt a cool breeze pass by in front of him. Upon opening his eye s he was met with a blazing sharinga an extremely irritated Uchiha female .

"Why are you here, Itachi Uchiha." Her v oice was crisp and cool, unlike the war m tones he'd heard her use with him the l ast time.

"Look after my brother. He trusts you." He felt a loose hand around his throat, but did not act against it. That woul ba ttle he wasn't completely sure he could win.

"I'm repairing the damage you dealt, Ita chi-San. I don't understand why you ref u se to come clean. It will help him to fi nd a reason other than revenge to tr y an d become stronger… and something te l ls m e you aren't exactly on Madara's si de…" Her already loosened hand falls sla ck ag ainst his chest, and Itachi lo oks into h er eyes again to see nothing but calm on yx pools.

"I've caused my brother enough pain-"

"And when he kills you and discovers the truth, he will be consumed by guilt and once again the desire for revenge that I'm steadily destroying. If you don't te ll him the truth, I will." Itachi grabs her chin in his hand as he had the last time they met in secret, and the time b e fore that, and the time before that…

"Aiko-Chan… You won't."

"Says you, Ita-Kun." His eyes soften dra matically, and he presses a soft kiss t o her delicate lips.

She returns the intimate pressure for a split second before pulling back, only t o be brought into Itachi's embrace as h e kissed her once more. "I'll find you i n three weeks."

"And I'll be waiting." She kissed him ag ain before pulling out of his embrac sm iling softly as he vanished.

She sighed quietly, leaping over the cli ff and muttering to herself as she made her way back to the fort. "Of all thing s to get involved in, Aiko… a forbidden r omance. Tch."

Itachi watched from the tree's as Aiko e ntered her tent, and only then did he f a ll back to the base, where Madara was pl otting to take away everything sacre d to him.

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**A/N: Bet you didn't see that coming;)**

**Please review!**


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